High Court commutes Oishee Rahman's death sentence to life in prison for murdering parents

Oishee Rahman has to spend the rest of her life behind bars for murdering her police inspector father and mother.

The High Court on Monday commuted the death sentence awarded by a trial court to life in prison, taking into account the convict's age and mental health.

Oishee will have to pay a fine of Tk 5,000 or serve six more months in prison.

Oishee was sentenced to death by a Dhaka speedy trial tribunal in November 2015 for murdering police inspector Mahfuzur Rahman and his wife Swapna Rahman in 2013. Oishee was 19 years old at the time. 

In its verdict, the court said Oishee had ‘planned the murder well ahead’.

In November 2015, the trial court's order of Oishee's death sentence was forwarded as the death reference to the High Court for approval.

On Dec 6 of the same year, Oishee filed a petition challenging the trial court's verdict.

The court started hearing the matter on Mar 12 this year.

On Apr 10, the High Court judges heard a statement in the judge’s chamber to assess the condition of her mental health.

At the end of a hearing on the death reference and the convict’s appeal on May 7, Justice Jahangir Hossain and Justice Md Jahangir Hossain of the High Court issued an order, reserving their verdict for future.

Mahfuzur Rahman and Swapna Rahman were found murdered in their apartment in the capital’s Chamelibagh on Aug 16, 2013. The next day, Oishee turned herself in to the police and confessed to killing her parents.

Police pressed charges against Oishee, her two friends and house help Khadija Akter Sumi in the case filed by the slain police officer’s brother Mashiur Rahman.

The trial court’s order to imprison Oishee’s friend Mizanur Rahman for two years has been upheld.

Oishee’s another friend Asaduzzaman Jony was acquitted in 2015.

The underage house help is being tried by a juvenile court.